Russia has launched an effort to create a list of “unfriendly states,” including the United States, which are banned from hiring Russian citizens for work in diplomatic missions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Rossiya-1, Russia’s top TV station, last night. The Foreign Ministry announced its policy on Russian citizens, along with other sanctions, and measures on April 23.
Zakharova stated, “As you know, yesterday the decree of President Putin was published, which contains a whole number of measures on fulfilling the already existing federal laws, under which those states which are declared unfriendly cannot hire Russian citizens as staff for their diplomatic and consular missions…. As we understand, the whole story began with another wave of unfriendly U.S. steps…. As you understand, and I can confirm this, naturally, the U.S. is on the list. You will find out about the other states as soon as the government’s decree is published and the respective list emerges,” she said.
Zakharova emphasized that President Putin’s decree was a retaliatory measure against other countries’ “hostile steps. We have also always stressed that all steps, which we consider as unfriendly and hostile will never remain unanswered… That package of measures, which is being taken now, is certainly a retaliatory measure… These aren’t aggressive steps by our country; this is a response and protection of our country from hostile and unfriendly steps by those, who are preoccupied about us, and those who are somehow trying to halt our development; through the containment policy and through isolation attempts,” she said.
“On April 23, Russian President Putin signed a decree on countermeasures to unfriendly actions of foreign states. Under this decree, diplomatic missions, consular institutions and offices of government institutions of foreign countries acting in an unfriendly manner against Russia, Russian nationals, or legal entities will face restrictions, or even a complete ban, if necessary, in terms of employing Russian nationals. The government is tasked to define the number of individuals that can be employed by foreign missions.”